Psycho 2 was a solid contender to Hitchcock’s classic black and white horror thriller that stood out because of a storytelling structure and a signature that Psycho 3 mostly upholds, despite deliberately giving in to typical 80’s slasher tropes. It now fully indulges in the subgenre the original film basically created, but not at the expense of suspense and ambiance.

Anthony Perkins plays Norman Bates once again and, as he did in Part 2, appears passive, contemplative and confused. His mind conveniently confounds a new blonde with Marion Crane; his first victim from 1960’s Psycho. The script is the thinnest so far. It brings its own subplots and twists to the franchise, but it mostly rehashes what worked previously.

We revisit familiar places, situations and events; no longer limited by archaic censorship restrictions on nudity, taboos and gore. Half of this sequel is a dumb slasher; the other a perfectly valid companion piece to Part 1 and 2. Anthony Perkins proves he knows his character and understands Hitchcock’s school of thought by directing a satisfying sequel.